Stop-And-Frisk: NYPD Facing Federal Takeover

There’s a lot riding on U.S. Court Judge Shira Scheindlin’s ruling in the civil trial against the New York Police Department’s “stop-and-frisk” policy.

The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday notified city officials that it plans to ask Scheindlin for federal oversight of the NYPD if she rules the policing tactic is unconstitutional, the New York Daily News reports.

The Justice Department’s announcement comes after a 10-week federal civil trial on the NYPD’s practice of stopping people they suspect of unlawful activity and frisking them for concealed weapons.

Although Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other city officials support the policing tactic as a crime deterrent, opponents say “stop-and-frisk” is a license for racial profiling and a violation of Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

There is a serious need to evaluate “stop-and-frisk” procedures. The public is so upset about the NSA PRISM program for spying on Americans; however, up until now, laws such as this one have gone unchallenged.